Social capital and trust for inclusion in school and society

Abstract

This article reports on the outcomes for students who experienced a strongly inclusive learning environment as a means for all to succeed. This Swedish lower secondary school dramatically improved its results, and the article reports the outcomes from the students’ perspectives. Social capital, with its emphasis on relationships, was used to structure interviews with students who had since moved on to high schools across Sweden and was also used to analyse the interview data. Two elements of social capital that appeared to be strongly associated with the students’ success – trust and confidence – are discussed in depth. The article concludes with a consideration of the significance of the role of schools in cultivating trust and the risks associated with schools ignoring this obligation.